Sunday, May 26, 2013

Hi all, today's post is how I put on Safety eyes and eyelashes. I found some cording or piping in black which makes great eyeliner that sits neat without having to cut your own black strip to define the eyelid. Spellbinder circle dies usually used in paper craft come in very handy here I used a 1 and 1/2" circle die for these eyelids. I have also used them to cut noses, (see my video).
Cheap false eyelashes are perfect for this project which you can purchase bulk on eBay etc.
To make the eyelids I basically cut one circle in half , place a small amount of cold craft glue on the flat edge of the lid and lay this along the edge of the cord piping for a quick second, then lift off while the glue is still wet on the piping and lay your eyelash down. Then lay the lid back over the glue mark sandwiching the eyelash between. When gluing the finished lids over your eye you can use a fine tip hot glue gun to glue down just the tips of each end of the eyelids but please note when using any type of glue near fleece, fur or fabric it can be very hard to remove it! I find if you do get a little bit on the fleece or fur don't touch it, let it dry and then with some sharp pointed scissors give the fleece a hair cut to remove the glue. This has worked for me many times. And that's it!
I also bought some great doll eyelashes from Clara in her Etsy store, $2.00 for 6 I though was a good buy. She also has loads of eyes!

Now an update on Sneaky..... He has been keeping a close eye on the pulled apart Baja just to make sure all the parts go back in the right place ;) Good job Sneaky!

Well I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and pop in often to see what Sneaky is up to! don't forget to check my Facebook page for all the latest supply buys and day to day stuff! sit back now and watch the video! Happy puppeting.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Hi all, I have an order for 10 indigenous puppets and they are coming along nicely.... Ive
been sewing on noses adding eyes and I'm now working on the hair..... but
today's post is all about noses!

For a puppet that is intended to look human I like to shape the noses to give them some more character. I like to have a play with different shapes and pop the patterns away for another build. Below will be some free nose patterns and video tutorials on how I make these.

If you are in Australia now is the time to pick up some great specials on puppet building supplies ..... for the skins I use Husky plain polar fleece and at the moment its down to only $3.59 a meter. Over these cooler months this seems to come on and off discount price. Also look out for different fibers for their hair. I also found this great little cotton/bobbin rack to sit on the table while sewing and they stay put instead of rolling off my work bench!

Any way I hope this has inspired you. Be sure not to miss my up coming posts by becoming a follower and subscribing .... I have tutorials coming on eyes, hair and a puppet storage rack!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Hi and welcome to my new blog.... VR Puppet Builds ! I'm pretty excited to get all this going its been an idea of mine for some time now. The last few days have been setting up internet info, making new accounts etc ...... not so much of the fun stuff.
I first started making puppets back in 2004 and was inspired by a guy called Wayne in our church conference and to this day he still has a passion for christian puppet ministry. He says its a way of spreading Christianity and is a powerful tool! I totally agree because the years that my husband and I ran "Our Hands for Him" Christian puppet ministry we seen God move in many ways and if you are considering starting one I would say step forward in faith! We did and were amazed by how God guided.... from getting supplies to opening the hearts of the community. Although now we don't run the group I still see how a puppet can reach someone in a way sometimes we can't.
Over the years I have ran workshops with school and church groups on how to build a puppet where they all end up making there own....crazy busy sessions they are! people have asked me to make puppets for them.... from schools, church groups and individual presents for people. I have to say a huge thank you to my husband for believing in all my big ideas, sometimes he must think I'm pretty crazy but he never says so just gets in and helps. Our kids also gave us 100% support and were often the backbone of things happening. Dave has his own walk around stage and worked his first puppet in it called "Cheeky" which was our sons puppet at the time.....by the way he is great at working a puppet, he has two different voices that he has mastered and some years ago now asked me to make him his own puppet. His name is sneaky! He took him shopping to buy him a new shirt and all.... ok ...I waited out side ;) LOL....... these days sneaky is not in the spotlight so much but keeps an eye on the workings of Dave's hobbies. Check out the pics :)

So my purpose for this blog,YouTube channel, Face Book page,(don't forget to press like) Pinterest etc is to share with you what I have learnt over the years of puppet organizing, supplies, building and some performing, although I like the creative side of things best.... I also have an Etsy store under way which will soon have puppets for sale.
I thank God for the gifts He has given me and still to this day don't understand how I can sew a puppet and not much else! LOL sadly true.......
So stay tuned I have a video coming up of how to sew a human shaped nose onto your puppet and a few free nose patterns. Be sure not to miss a thing by subscribing and or becoming a follower! Until then happy puppeting!
Valita x